This year, for the very first time, I started experimenting with different eye makeup. For the longest time I was influenced by Lauren Conrad’s eyeshadow-averse routine and, like Conrad, I was very basic with my everyday eye makeup: a sharp cat eye and a little mascara.

But this year I fell even harder for the no-makeup look, so I ditched the simple liner (FYI, I’ve worn eyeliner every day since Grade 9, so it was a hard transition), and swapped it for something much softer. Am I finally using eyeshadow? Not quite: I’m so used to not wearing traditional eyeshadows that I’m using face makeup on my eyes.

For my “eyeshadow” base, I apply blush onto the lids, using a fluffy brush. I love the idea of blush on my lids because it gives my eyes the right amount of colour while still being soft. I find that using a pink blush brightens my eyes and avoids the look of tired eyes. I’m currently using Pur Marble Powder in Spice and Essence Mosaic Blush in The Berry Connection. I also like to apply blush right under my lower lash line for an extra pop.

Lastly (this step is my favourite), I like to apply a bit of lipgloss onto the corners of my eyes (yup, lipgloss!). This gives me a more natural-looking dewy effect without the shimmer of a regular eyeshadow or highlighter. With a small blending blush, I apply Essence BB Beauty Balm Lip Gloss onto the outer corners of my eyes and blend it in with my ring finger (to apply the least amount of pressure). Using a gloss gives my eyes that super-sleek wet look.

I then finish the look with a little bit of mascara. And I’ve been ditching the lash curler (am I breaking beauty rules?) to really go with the no-makeup look.